Officials in South Carolina announced Wednesday that an investigation found Hayden Panettiere’s Aug. 16 death to be accidental and the case is now closed.
“Based on the Medical Examiner’s determination and the findings of the investigation, Hayden Panettiere’s death has been ruled accidental,” officials in Greenville, S.C., said.
Paramedics and police found Panettiere in cardiac arrest, according to the coroner’s office. Dispatch audio recordings from Broadcastify.com reference a possible overdose and CPR in progress. Narcan was reportedly administered, and paramedics tried to resuscitate her. She was declared dead at 2:31 p.m.
Federal authorities probing the death of Panettiere are focusing their investigation in Los Angeles and looking into whether the actor procured nonprescription pills from an area dealer.
Drug Enforcement Administration agents and local investigators have questioned several people about the circumstances of her death.
Such counterfeit pills have repeatedly been found laced with fentanyl, which can be deadly when taken in small amounts.
Panettiere starred on “Nashville” (2012-18) and, before that, “Heroes” (2006-10). Her early work as a child actor included roles in the 1990s on the soap operas “One Life to Live” and “Guiding Light.” She was a model and a singer, having released several singles.
Panettiere also starred in the “Scream” horror movie franchise as well as in hits “I Love You, Beth Cooper” and “Remember the Titans.”
She gained widespread attention with “Heroes,” in which she played a cheerleader with superpowers.

“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” has officially premiered, and members of the film press are already calling the sixth installment a “perfect adaptation” that breathes “new life” into the franchise. “Sunrise on the Reaping” is the second “Hunger Games” prequel movie following 2023’s “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.”
Film critic Griffin Schiller hailed the movie as the “Rogue One” and “Andor” of “The Hunger Games” franchise, adding: “It’s [a] sobering, yet powerful story of devastating loss and the necessary cost of rebellion for a sunrise we may never see. As a massive fan of the series and especially this book, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect adaptation.”
Filmhounds Magazine editor-in-chief and Tomatometer critic Gavin Spoors praised the film’s third act as “stellar,” writing that it “pulls the rug out underneath you.” “Anchored by terrific performances (Zada is a star), this emotional thriller nails the themes of the cost of revolution and how we all need to play our part,” he wrote on X.
Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture editor-in-chief, wrote that the film “features some of the best casting of the year” in his review. “Many of the actors breathe new life into familiar characters, making them their own, while preserving the qualities that made them so compelling in the first place,” he continued. “Glenn Close, with her horror-inducing face, is a scene-stealer as is Jesse Plemons embodying the spirit of the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman. Joseph Zada is beyond impressive in a highly demanding role that pushes him to the limit physically and emotionally, perfectly capturing the essence of Haymitch with all the sympathy, charm and bitterness Woody Harrelson brought to the role. I’m continually blown away by how Francis Lawrence continues to find more layers in this familiar structure thematically and stylistically as the production and costume design continue to be dazzling highlights. If this is to be the end of his time working on these movies, it’s a good way to go out as this latest installment brings the franchise full circle with the character that’s always been the beating heart at its center.”
“The rebellion is sparking with SUNRISE ON THE REAPING,” wrote fellow Next Best Picture editor Lauren LaMagna. “Francis Lawrence continues to breathe new life into this world. The unique production design doesn’t let familiar beats get too dull. Joseph Zada is heartbreakingly radiant as Haymitch. A star is born role.”
“One of the biggest highlights? Joseph Zada,” wrote Collider’s Perri Nemiroff. “I had high hopes for him after watching We Were Liars, but he had my jaw on the floor time and time again during Sunrise on the Reaping. His ability to capture Haymitch’s warmth and charm and then weave that into the rage and heartbreak the Hunger Games sparks is superb. SO much of this movie is on his shoulders, and he soars tackling every ounce of it. This is only the beginning for Zada.”
She continued: “Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes bolstered my rewatches of the original films, and I have no doubt the same will be true of Sunrise on the Reaping. Sparking real change can take time and demand great sacrifice. This film franchise is better off for having added Haymitch’s.”
Static Media writer Nina Starner also championed Zada’s casting, saying that it “couldn’t be better.” “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is a worthy addition to the franchise,” she wrote. “It looks and feels terrifyingly real, and it bridges the gap perfectly between the original stories and Ballad. A from me.”
Based on Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel “Sunrise on the Reaping,” the latest “Hunger Games” movie centers on a young Haymitch (Zada, taking over the role from Woody Harrelson) as he fights to survive while competing in the 50th Hunger Games. The cast also features Jesse Plemons as Plutarch, Ralph Fiennes as President Snow, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Maya Hawke as Wiress and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee. New characters in the film franchise are played by the likes of Mckenna Grace, Glenn Close and Whitney Peak, among others.
“Sunrise on the Reaping” takes place 24 years before the start of the first “Hunger Games” movie. Frances Lawrence, who has directed every “Hunger Games” movie except for the first installment (that was Gary Ross), returns to helm the latest prequel movie.
Much of the buzz surrounding “Sunrise on the Reaping” has been related to the franchise returns of Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Harrelson as Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch. Book readers know that Suzanne Collins’ novel ends with a flash-forward epilogue featuring the trio, so it appears the film adaptation is following suit.
“It was unbelievable,” Lawrence said on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast about reprising Katniss. “It was so crazy. It was the same crew. It was the same AD, who I’ve worked with a million times because I love him. And with Josh [Hutcherson] and Woody [Harrelson] … it was so emotional. Josh and I didn’t walk to the bathroom without our arms around each other. It was so beautiful.”
“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” is set to open in theaters Nov. 20 from Lionsgate. Check out first reactions to the movie below.

Put on a happy face, because “Smile 3” is officially in the works.
Paramount has hired David Bruckner to direct and Nick Antosca to write the screenplay. They’re taking over for Parker Finn, who created the series and will remain involved as a producer alongside Temple Hill. (Finn pitched the framework for the third installment.) Jonathan Fass will executive produce.
Bruckner’s credits include the 2022 “Hellraiser” reboot, 2017’s psychological thriller “The Ritual” and 2020’s supernatural horror film “The Night House.” Bruckner is particularly in demand as of late: he’s currently writing and developing a reboot of the sci-fi horror classic, “The Blob,” for Warner Bros., as well as Universal’s adaptation of “The Caretaker,” starring Sydney Sweeney, plus he’s set to direct “Mice” for A24.
Antosca is best known for creating Apple’s miniseries “Cape Fear” and co-creating Hulu’s “The Act,” as well as writing 2021’s “Antlers” and the most recent Colleen Hoover adaptation “Verity.”
Plot details for the third “Smile” movie haven’t been revealed. The first film stars Sosie Bacon as a therapist who becomes haunted by hallucinations after witnessing a patient die. In the second, Naomi Scott plays a pop singer who begins to experience a series of disturbing events as she embarks on tour. Since each “Smile” movie has functioned as a standalone sequel, with a separate story and new stars, it’s unclear who will appear in the threequel.
Finn wrote and directed 2022’s “Smile” and the 2024 sequel “Smile 2.” The original film — commissioned for streaming before pivoting to a theatrical release — became a sleeper hit, with $105 million domestically and $217 million globally. The follow-up wasn’t quite as big at the box office but became a commercial win, with $69 million domestically and $139 million globally against a modest $28 million budget. In total, the franchise has earned more than $350 million worldwide.
Although Finn isn’t spearheading “Smile 3,” he’s still working closely with Paramount, having signed a first-look deal with the studio after the first “Smile” became a theatrical success. Finn is directing a remake of the 1981 supernatural thriller “Possession,” starring Callum Turner and Margaret Qualley and set for June 11, 2027.

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Barbara Barrie has died at age 95 after a terminal cancer diagnosis, according to a report.
The “Barney Miller” actress’s death at her home in New York City was medically assisted, her daughter told The New York Times.
The Oscar-nominated actress’s TV and film career spanned multiple decades from the 1950s until last year.
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Barrie was known for her small screen roles as Barney Miller’s wife on “Barney Miller,” a police series that ran from 1975 to 1982, and as Brooke Shields’ grandmother on “Suddenly Susan.”
She was nominated for an Academy Award for 1979’s “Breaking Away,” and she won best actress at the Cannes Film Festival for 1964’s “One Potato, Two Potato.”
She lost to Meryl Streep for “Kramer vs. Kramer” at the Oscars.
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She also played Goldie Hawn’s mother in 1980’s “Private Benjamin.”
Barrie was also a prolific Broadway actress who was nominated for a Tony for her performance in the original 1970 cast of Stephen Sondheim’s “Company.”
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The 95-year-old made her Broadway debut in “The Wooden Dish” in 1955 after she moved to New York when she graduated from college in Texas, telling the Akron Beacon Journal in 1963 that she only went there because of a man.
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“To tell you the truth, the only reason I went was because I had a boyfriend who was living there. We were supposed to get married but couldn’t right away,” she said. “Since I had gone to all the trouble of moving to New York, I figured I might as well try to act.”
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Paramount is giving horror fans something to smile about with a third installment in Parker Finn‘s Smile franchise.
On Wednesday, the studio announced David Bruckner (Hellraiser, The Night House) will helm the next film, which is penned by Nick Antosca (Verity, Cape Fear), as Finn is busy directing Paramount’s Possession remake.
Despite Finn’s absence after writing and directing the first two films, he developed and pitched the framework for the trilogy-completing film, on which he serves as a producer with Temple Hill. Jonathan Fass serves as executive producer.
In Smile, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) runs from a perpetually smiling supernatural entity that haunts its victims before ultimately driving them crazy. The 2024 sequel starred Naomi Scott as pop star Skye Riley, who inherits the entity.
The first Smile film became the highest grossing original horror of 2022. Smile 2 pushed the franchise’s global gross past $350M.
Variety was first to break the news of Bruckner’s involvement.